Fresh sacrilege cases give Punjab a reason to consider setting up of fast track courts

“Although it is yet on a preliminary stage, we are discussing internally if we should go ahead, find a way if we can have special fast tracks courts for cases of sacrilege. This would mean that the criminals are punished faster and an example is set for those who are committing these crimes,” said a functionary of the government.

He added that the discussion was on at the party and government level. “We are in the solution mode. We are trying to find a way if we can do any of these without needing permission from the Centre. We are checking,” the functionary added.

He said that sacrilege cases in Punjab were capable of creating law and order issue as it happened during the days of Bargari sacrilege in 2015. “We do not want to take any chances. Such incidents also have the potential to harm the mutual harmony and peace of the state. A dharna is on at the Gurdwara in Morinda where the sacrilege took place. These need a serious look. Otherwise, these incidents would keep taking place.”

In case of Morinda incident, the functionary said that with the dare the accused entered the gurdwara premises, the government is forced to mull a stronger law. “The CM met Shah in December on the issue. However, there has been no success. With these two cases, we may need Centre’s intervention for harsher punishment and we will have to approach them.”

The Bills were passed during former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh’s tenure, ‘The Indian Penal Code (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2018 and The Code of Criminal Procedure (Punjab Amendment) Bill 2018’, providing for punishment up to life imprisonment for whoever causing injury, damage or sacrilege to Shri Guru Granth Sahib, Srimad Bhagwat Gita, Holy Quran and Holy Bible with the intention to hurt the religious feelings of the people.

These two Bills have since been waiting for Presidential assent. But before these Bills could be sent to the President of India, the ministry of home has been writing to the state asking for clarifications. Last, the Centre wrote if the state was sure that such harsher punishment could be given for sacrilege of holy books. Punjab had argued that Guru Granth Sahib is considered a living Guru of Sikhs. Hence, life imprisonment was only fair in crimes against the holy book.

During his meeting with Shah in December, Chief Minister Mann had said that this amendment was in consonance with the principles of secularism enshrined in our Constitution. He had also stated that Punjab, being a border state, it is extremely necessary to maintain communal harmony and harsher punishment was required t deter those desecrating.

Before Mann, former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa had also written to Shah asking him to obtain Presidential assent for these Bills in December 2021.

In the letter, Randhawa had written that “sacrilege of holy books is becoming a major issue in Punjab” and that “existing provisions of Section 295 and 295-A of the Indian Penal Code-1860, which provide for a punishment of up to three years, are inadequate to deal with this situation”.
“Punjab being a border State, it is extremely necessary to maintain communal harmony here. For this, deterrent punishment is must for those trying to disturb communal harmony by indulging in sacrileges. So, I again request that the Presidential assent for the said Bills may kindly be obtained and conveyed to the State government, at the earliest possible,” his letter had stated.